St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-21
A PENITENTIARY HOOKKEEPEF
How Tom Magill Lives Out the
Days Within the Fenitentiary

Days Within the Fenitentiary
Walls.
Special to the Globe.
BISMARCK, d. T., Jan. 20-The terri
torial penitentiary stands like monument
over the grave of a recluse three miles from
the heart Of the city. in the midst of bleak
prairie covered with snow nearly eight
M onths of the year. Within its walls is
one convict of whom the people in north
Dakota, at least, will be pleased to hear
This is Tom Magill who nearly two years
ago, aimed gun loaded with buck shot at
an notfensive blacksmith in Menoken and
poured volley into him that ended his ex-
istence on earth. The trial of Tom Magill
and the desperate fight that was made by
his council to clear him will be remembered
and the shock the crime gave to his friends
I'D the Red river valley has not yet worn
away. Tom, five years ago. was considered
one OF the smartest young men in Fargo,
and in connection with his father was
doing prosperous business in real estate
and warehousing. Their business went
down with the boom and they moved back
into the country on the farm that was left
them and it was near this homestead that
the crime was committed which placed him
within the stern walls of the Bismarck
penitentiary. 1t is a question if lie has not
been better off where he is than if he had
been allowed absolute freedom and left to
his own resources for his existence, for not
many weeks after his incarceration in the
penitentiary. the man who had been EN-
ployed at
A LIBERAL SALARY
and who was veteran Of the late war,
who kept the books, was discharged and
Tom was given his work to do. The labor
virtually amounted to nothing. A half
hour each day was sufficient to keep the
books in perfect order. and while doing
this Tom is allowed to stay in the office of
the warden and has the freedom of the cor
ridorS and the court. 1t is reported here
that so lenent are the officers of the peni-
Tertiary with Tom that he has been seen
walking on the prairie half mile distant
from the prison house. He sleeps in cell
such as is occupied by common and ordi-
nary prisoners, but lie is given more free
dom than any other occupant of the peni-
tertiary. 1t is undoubtedly owing to the
influence of his family, whose responsibility
has never been questioned. Toms
him during his Imprisonment and
has spent much of the time
in Bismarck in case he should need her
tender care in sickness and her visits to
his prison have been frequent. and they
often dined together in the wartlen's Office.
Mrs. Magill has won many friends in Bis
marck by her devotion to her unfortunate
husband who in moment of ungovernable
temper or passion took the life or a fellow
being. She is beautiful woman. A
brunette with black hair and black eyes and
noble figure. She would attract attention
i'll crowd of beauties, and she is a woman
of whom any man
MIGHT WELL BE PROUD.
There is a movement on foot to secure
pardon for Magill, and his friends antici-
pate that when the new governor takes his
seat the pardon will be readily granted.
During Gov. Pierce's administration he
ISSUED something more than dozen par
dons. and it was thought he would pardon
Magll. but the. application was made so
near the expiration of his term of office that
he thought inasmuch as he had issued
so many pardons that it would be better If
a pardon was granted for his successor to
do it, and he undoubtedly will. There is
one thing certain, the keeping of Magill
within the penitentiary walls now and
under the present circumstances is no pun
isllment, except for the disgrace, and that,
by this time. he must have almost ceased
to think OF. He enjoys himself quite as
much as he would within his own home and
he is assured of good living at the cost
of but little eXer, ion ON his part, and he
has the society of his wife whenever he de-
sires it. 1t is hard to imagine what better
lot man could wish. A few months over
year yet remains that finishes out the
term for which Tom Magill was sentenced
and it is almost certain that he will never
be asked by the territorial governor to live
the expiration of the sentence inside the
penitentiary, and one of the first acts that
Gov. Church will probably perform will
be the granting of his pardon and re-
storing him once more to absolute freedom.
During his incarceration he has grown from
slim. wlry youth to stout, fieshy man,
and the change is so great i'll his physique
that he would hardly be recognized by his
nearest friend. TEE A1TCH.